29 May 2025
The 2025 Canterbury Rugby League (CRL) Annual General Meeting took place last night, where longtime servants of the game, Rochelle Macpherson and Wally Wilson, were awarded CRL’s highest honour: life membership.
New Zealand Rugby League congratulates Rochelle and Wally on this remarkable achievement, hard-earned and well-deserved in recognition of their dedication to the game, CRL, and the wider Canterbury community.
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Linwood and Canterbury legend, and former New Zealand Test player Wally Wilson – one of our game’s longest and most dedicated servants – was made a life member of Canterbury Rugby League at the AGM.
Awarded life membership by the Keas last year, Wilson was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in 2011 for his contribution to rugby league and surf lifesaving. He served as CRL Chairperson from 2022-24 and remains on the Board.
“I was pretty proud when I got the news, and a bit taken aback – it really hit my heart,” Wilson said.
“I’ve been playing since I was 11 or 12 years of age at Linwood, I just love the game of rugby league.”
Wilson represented Canterbury at age-group level as well as winning selection for the New Zealand Under-17s team.
He played for Linwood’s premiers team for the first time in 1971 and went on to play more than 400 games for the club over 15 seasons, while he was a tryscorer in the 1974 grand final loss to Papanui.
Wilson made his senior debut for Canterbury in 1973 and went on to captain his province in 30 of his 40 appearances – including the watershed defeat of Auckland in 1975 and the match against Wales the same year.
Wilson made the first of seven appearances for South Island in 1979 and skippered the side against Central Districts in 1981 with West Coast and New Zealand incumbent No.7 Gordon Smith out injured.
Smith’s absence saw Wilson called up to the Kiwis’ squad for the home series against France. Auckland’s Shane Varley claimed the starting halfback role for both clashes but the 28-year-old Wilson came off the bench late in the 25-2 victory in the second Test at Carlaw Park.
A selector for the highly successful Canterbury team of the early-1990s, Wilson assumed the coaching reins in 1994 when Frank Endacott linked with the Auckland Warriors.
He also paid tribute to everyone who has shared in his journey, from those who he stood shoulder to shoulder with on the paddock, to the ones he’s worked alongside off the field in decades of service to, and governance of, the grassroots game.
Still an integral part of driving the game’s progress as a member of the CRL Board, Wilson is ecstatic with the direction rugby league is headed in the wake of its achievements and growth in recent years.
“I’m absolutely over the moon with what’s happening with rugby league in Canterbury – and New Zealand.
“In Canterbury, when I look at where the game is, we’ve come a long way. We’ve been told recently that we’re the biggest growth sport [in the 2024 Sport Canterbury report], and there’s so many options out there for young athletes.
“That’s rewarding to everyone in the game.”
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Few people in Canterbury Rugby League circles are as unassuming as Rochelle Macpherson. Fewer still have dedicated as much time to overseeing and fostering the game – or are as deserving of life membership of the organisation.
Long-serving CRL Executive Assistant and Office Manager Macpherson was awarded the honour at tonight’s Canterbury Rugby League AGM, to rapturous applause to those in attendance.
“It’s amazing, humbling – I was lost for words when I was told and I’m just really honoured,” Macpherson said.
Starting with Canterbury Rugby League as fresh-faced teenager in 1992, Macpherson has been its backbone for more than three decades – an invaluable support to a multitude of CEOs, a leader and friend to countless staff, and an ever-present link between CRL and its clubs, volunteers, participants and stakeholders.
Macpherson is universally admired in the Canterbury Rugby League community for her integrity and her willingness to perform duties outside her role, typically with a minimum of fuss.
Her protective nature of CRL and rugby league was also highlighted in her life membership nomination.
“I am very protective of it – we’ve got such a great game, such great people and I just want it to be the best it can be,” she says.
Macpherson’s extraordinary tenure has encompassed the challenges of transitioning to the internet age, as well as navigating the immense disruptions of the Christchurch earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the case of the latter two, she was a tower of strength for Canterbury Rugby League – but characteristically deflects praise to others.
“Do you know what’s really cool about that, though? After the earthquakes and COVID, one of the major points for me was that the clubs were so resilient.
“It just showed what a great community we have – they’re all playing each other on the field, but when something like that happens they come together.”
As she embarks on her 34th season, Macpherson gave a glowing endorsement of state of rugby league in the region, reflective of her genuine care for the health of our game.
“Currently, I think we’re on such a good trajectory, it’s just getting better. The Sport Canterbury report showed we’ve got 21.5 percent growth, beating every other sport in Canterbury – that’s amazing.
“And going back we were probably so focused on rugby league on the field, but the community initiatives we’re doing now are so cool – like the swimming lessons programme – I love that, wrapping our arms around [the community].
“I think we’ve got a really good board at Canterbury Rugby League as well leading the game at the moment, it’s nice to have a cohesive group with different sorts of people involved.
“I’ve been really lucky to work with some awesome colleagues over the years that have turned into lifelong friends, met amazing people and I feel really blessed.”
Canterbury Rugby League congratulates Rochelle – a treasured friend, an inspiration and an ornament to the local game – on her life membership.
